On moving to a college of education

Today has been characterized by readings for a (required) doctoral colloquium (at which Dr. Terzian spoke) and talking to senior graduate students, in a general way, about their experiences here. A few broad thoughts informed by the happenings of today are below.

Qualifying Exams

The stats. department's qualifying exam is a four hour math test consisting of eight problems (two each from four classes). The usual passing grade is a six out of eight, and that is no small feat. I've heard nothing but nightmares about this.

The School of Teaching and Learning uses the qualifying exam as a constructive process where the end result forms the basis for one's dissertation later. It lasts about a month and requires writing answers (long, long answers) in response to questions. Some students say it isn't the worst thing ever (knock on wood).

The committee is apparently not trying to destroy you.

On Research

Tenure is a long way off, but the goal in the first five years of an academic position is writing journal articles that show a deliberate research trajectory that will carry one's career for the time being. The goal is showing the tenure committee a single body of work.

When writing, the re-writes are where improvement comes from. Rinse and repeat.

Dissertations are first and foremost written to answer a question.

Miscellaneous

Education gets little respect in the academy. There are several hypotheses for this, including that it is a gendered field (because it has many aspects associated with femininity).

Do what you like. (Polonius's "To thine own self be true.")

At research institutions research is respected. (That's about all that is respected.)

Overall, I'm still apprehensive about starting this program... it is sufficiently removed from my last program that I am in the process of finding my footing. Taking REM classes is helping ease my transition, but there is only so long that I can take those classes for.